Song of the Day: Gliss – Weight of Love

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Weight of Love” by Gliss from the 2013 album Langsom Dans on Modern Outsider.

Like another noir-friendly Danish group, the Danish/American trio Gliss’ enveloping sound contains traces of Depeche Mode’s anthemic darkness and Lush’s hazy aura, but it’s the band’s hometown of Los Angeles that stands out as the immediate touchstone to their dreamy, melancholic pop songs. Built on a sturdy “Nightclubbing“-esque drum beat and a wave of gauzy guitars, “Weight of Love” is a diaphanous gem that is both enticing and harrowing; an intriguingly honest confession that fades away as sublimely as it came. Victoria Cecilia’s soft murmur floats around the track like with a poise that recalls the enchanting sighs of Chromatics’ Ruth Radelet, and as their Beach House-esque guitar haze brings the song to an echoing peak during the chorus, it’s not hard to feel as pulled in by the song as the protagonist is by her onerous lover.

Gliss is currently in the middle of a month-long residency in Los Angeles, but they’ll be on the road (and at SXSW) throughout the year, so keep an eye on their website and Facebook to hear about any forthcoming tour dates. Watch the watery, washed out video for today’s featured song now: